If you would like to try RealBasic (and you own VB6)

http://www.realsoftware.com/realbasic/vb6/

Apparently, in response to Microsoft's decision to drop free VB6 support, and, seeing an opportunity to possibly latch on to some of the millions of VB6 users, they are offering free RealBasic 5.5 standard licenses to current licensed users of VB6. Their offer is good through April 15...

Hmm. They seem to compensate for this "Free" license by charging you $300 to upgrade to the Professional Edition if you want to use it to build Console/Service applications, the ability to connect to database servers, and a few other things that are locked-out (http://www.realsoftware.com/realbasic/pro) of the Standard Edition.

It does look like it has some interesting features (once you are able to determine which ones are actually usable in the Standard Edition).

I also question why it wants to UDP to their site evertime you launch the IDE.

There doesn't seem to be anything in their offer text that limits it to licensed VB owners, only VB users. So this would indicate to me that it is also available to students who use VB in labs but don't have a personal copy, or programmers who use it only in the office, would still be eligible.

Note that you may have trouble in Firefox with the registration page. I did, and then tried it in IE and it worked fine.

There doesn't seem to be anything in their offer text that limits it to licensed VB owners, only VB users. So this would indicate to me that it is also available to students who use VB in labs but don't have a personal copy, or programmers who use it only in the office, would still be eligible.
I didn't have to prove, or even claim anything to get it.

I registred myself and downloaded it, but still haven't tried it. What's very briefly the difference between REALbasic and MS VB?

And I had no problems with Firefox

http://www.realsoftware.com/realbasic/compare/visualbasic/

Thanks.

I just perused the site: www.realsoftware.com/realbasic. The standard edition is $99. If this is from MS, why would they offer a competing product? Is the VB.NET platform languishing? Or is this just one more example of reaching into our wallets.

Where does it say anywhere that this is a Microsoft product?

It certainly isn't. :huh:

Not yet anyway :chuckle: